Meloidogyne incognita ressources

In order to resolve the origin and evolution of duplication patterns observed in M. incognita, a sequencing project of additional coverage of the genomic sequence of this species together with sequencing genomes of two sibling parthenogenetic species M. arenaria and M. javanica is currently under way in close collaboration with Génoscope and the INRA bioinformatics plateforme in Toulouse.
The sequencing project of the plant parasitic nematode genome, M. incognita, offers an unparalleled opportunity for comparative genomics among the genomes of other parasitic nematode genomes recently sequenced or on the way to be sequencedi (including animal parasites : Brugia malayi, Haemonchus contortus, Trichinella spiralis, Meloidogyne hapha), the complete genomes of the non-parasitic nematodes C. elegans, C. briggsae (and C. remanei, C.japonica) and Pristionclus pacificus.
The comparative analysis will be more specifically centered on differential situations such as (1) mitotic versus meiotic root-knot nematodes, (2) animal versus plant-parasitic species, and (3) parasitic versus free-living species. The ultimate goal is to obtain a non-redundant view of al the M. incognita genes and to obtain data on their expression patterns, cellular roles, functions, and evolutionary relationships. We will particularly focus on functions which relate to nematode parasitism and more generally on plant pathology aspects. Genomic sequences are a prerequisite for example in high-throughput expression studies of plant nematode interactions via the development of a complete transcriptome microarray. Unlike the majority of plant parasitic nematodes, RKN are able to attack and to develop on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This enhances the relevance of root knot nematodes as a model for host-pathogen interactions and will clearly aid the identification of new targets of agronomic interests.